Background: Albuminuria, a marker for diabetes complications and kidney disease, is typically tested in hospitals, limiting patient monitoring. The mobile-based ACR (urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio) test, QSCheck-UISACR, was developed for easy detection of albuminuria. This study aimed to validate its clinical efficacy compared to a conventional benchtop device (Cybow R-50S) for early kidney disease diagnosis. Methods: Conducted in three hospitals with 303 kidney disease patients, urine samples were tested using both the mobile ACR kit and the benchtop device. Parameters measured included microalbumin, creatinine, and their ratio (albumin-to-creatinine ratio). Exact Agreement and Within One Block Agreement were calculated to compare methods. Results: Data collected from three university hospitals were aggregated and analyzed, showing that the microalbumin Exact Agreement was 73.3%, with a Within One Block Agreement of 96.0%. For creatinine, the Exact Agreement was 75.6%, and the Within One Block Agreement was 95.7%. Based on these two test results, the albumin-to-creatinine ratio analysis demonstrated an Exact Agreement of 78.5% and a Within One Block Agreement of 98.0%. These findings highlight the robust performance of the tests across the evaluated biomarkers. Conclusions The mobile-based ACR test kit demonstrated high accuracy and comparability to the benchtop device, suggesting its potential as a reliable tool for early kidney disease screening in primary care settings, enhancing patient accessibility and reducing healthcare costs.

Objective: This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of lurasidone (160 mg/day) compared to quetiapine XR (QXR; 600 mg/day) in the treatment of acutely psychotic patients with schizophrenia. Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to 6 weeks of double-blind treatment with lurasidone 160 mg/day (n=105) or QXR 600 mg/day (n=105). Primary efficacy measure was the change from baseline to week 6 in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score and Clinical Global Impressions severity (CGI-S) score. Adverse events, body measurements, and laboratory parameters were assessed. Results: Lurasidone demonstrated non-inferiority to QXR on the PANSS total score. Adjusted mean±standard error change at week 6 on the PANSS total score was -26.42±2.02 and -27.33±2.01 in the lurasidone and QXR group, respectively. The mean difference score was -0.91 (95% confidence interval -6.35–4.53). The lurasidone group showed a greater reduction in PANSS total and negative subscale on week 1 and a greater reduction in end-point CGI-S score compared to the QXR group. Body weight, body mass index, and waist circumference in the lurasidone group were reduced, with significantly lower mean change compared to QXR. Endpoint changes in glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein levels were also significantly lower. The most common adverse drug reactions with lurasidone were akathisia and nausea. Conclusion Lurasidone 160 mg/day was found to be non-inferior to QXR 600 mg/day in the treatment of schizophrenia with comparable efficacy and tolerability. Adverse effects of lurasidone were generally tolerable, and beneficial effects on metabolic parameters can be expected.

Purpose: The proper implantable collamer lens (ICL) size affects ICL stability. This study compared device efficacy using white-to-white diameter (WTW) measurements with Orbscan II and IOL Master 700. Methods: We retrospectively studied 90 eyes (45 patients) who underwent toric ICL implantation from January 2019 to February 2020 and were followed for 1 year. The correlation between WTW and anterior chamber depth (ACD) for each measuring device was analyzed. Results: The mean WTW measured by IOL Master 700 and Orbscan II was 12.2 ± 0.3 and 11.6 ± 0.3 mm, respectively, while the mean ACD was 3.28 ± 0.16 and 3.20 ± 0.15 mm. The WTW and ACD measured with IOL Master 700 averaged 0.57 ± 0.12 and 0.08 ± 0.04 mm larger than with Orbscan II. The differences were significant and the regression analysis had high correlations (R2 = 0.875 and R2 = 0.913, respectively; both p < 0.001). Conclusions WTW measured by the IOL Master 700 can be used as a reference either alone or together with the Orbscan II value to determine ICL size.

Background: Prepectoral breast reconstruction has recently gained wide recognition for its advantages, such as rapid recovery and less pain. This study compared the effectiveness of and differences between the prepectoral and subpectoral breast reconstruction techniques. Methods: Eighty-three patients (90 breasts) who underwent prepectoral or subpectoral breast reconstruction surgery between January 2019 and December 2020 were prospectively recruited. Patient demographics, comorbidities, oncological treatment, and intraoperative and postoperative data were evaluated to investigate the validity and stability of each surgical technique. The follow-up period was a minimum of 18 months. Results: The surgical cohorts (22 prepectoral and 68 subpectoral) had comparable demographics. No significant differences in postoperative complications were observed between the two groups. The prepectoral group showed shorter operation times than the subpectoral group (mean: 97.27 and 127.63 minutes, respectively; P<0.001). Fewer days elapsed until drain removal and the total amount of drainage was less in the prepectoral group than in the subpectoral group (mean: postoperative day [POD] 8.95 and 10.06, respectively; P=0.048) and (501.72 mL and 671.19 mL, respectively; P=0.009). The numeric pain rating scale (NPRS) scores at POD 7 were significantly lower in the prepectoral group than in the subpectoral group (mean: 0.41 and 1.82, respectively; P=0.029). There were no statistically significant differences in the NPRS scores at POD 1 or the BREAST-Q questionnaire scores at 3 months. Conclusions Prepectoral breast reconstruction using acellular dermal matrix can feasibly replace the conventional subpectoral breast reconstruction technique and has the advantages of reducing operation time, length of hospitalization, and long-term postoperative pain.

BACKGROUND: Superficial dermatomycoses are fungal infections of the skin, hair, or nails and are most commonly caused by dermatophytes. Superficial dermatomycoses are very common diseases in the field of dermatology; however, their prevalence and clinical characteristics vary with geographical areas and populations. Moreover, pathogenic species change constantly over time. OBJECTIVE: This multicenter study aimed to investigate the epidemiologic and clinical findings of tinea corporis, tinea faciale, and tinea capitis in Korea during 2016-2017. In addition, we sought to identify the pathogenic organism causing these three different types of fungal infections. METHODS: Total 453 patients from the dermatology clinics of 13 tertiary hospitals in Korea were enrolled in this study. Information regarding demographic characteristics, comorbidities, occupation, family history of superficial dermatomycoses, suspected routes of infection, and treatment was collected. Fungal cultures and molecular analyses were performed for patients with tinea corporis, tinea faciale, and tinea capitis. RESULTS: Of the 453 patients, 275 were men and 178 were women. With respect to past history, 214 patients (53.4%) had at least one comorbidity. Tinea corporis (27.3%) was the most common form of superficial dermatomycosis, followed by tinea pedis (23.2%) and tinea unguium (16.6%). Overall, the fungal culture positivity was 77.8% (126/162). Trichophyton rubrum was the most common causative organism for tinea corporis (66.7%, 68/80) and tinea faciale (43.8%, 14/23), while Microsporum canis was the most common causative organism for tinea capitis (36.7%, 11/23). CONCLUSION Trichophyton rubrum was consistently the most common causative organism of superficial dermatomycoses, except for tinea capitis in Korea.

PURPOSE: We investigated current trends in lung cancer surgery and identified demographic and social factors related to changes in these trends. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We estimated the incidence of lung cancer surgery using a procedure code-based approach provided by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (http://opendata.hira.or.kr). The population data were obtained every year from 2010 to 2014 from the Korean Statistical Information Service (http://kosis.kr/). The annual percent change (APC) and statistical significance were calculated using the Joinpoint software. RESULTS: From January 2010 to December 2014, 25,687 patients underwent 25,921 lung cancer surgeries, which increased by 45.1% from 2010 to 2014. The crude incidence rate of lung cancer surgery in each year increased significantly (APC, 9.5; p < 0.05). The male-to-female ratio decreased from 2.1 to 1.6 (APC, −6.3; p < 0.05). The incidence increased in the age group of ≥ 70 years for both sexes (male: APC, 3.7; p < 0.05; female: APC, 5.96; p < 0.05). Furthermore, the proportion of female patients aged ≥ 65 years increased (APC, 7.2; p < 0.05), while that of male patients aged < 65 years decreased (APC, −3.9; p < 0.05). The proportions of segmentectomies (APC, 17.8; p < 0.05) and lobectomies (APC, 7.5; p < 0.05) increased, while the proportion of pneumonectomies decreased (APC, −6.3; p < 0.05). Finally, the proportion of patients undergoing surgery in Seoul increased (APC, 1.1; p < 0.05), while the proportion in other areas decreased (APC, −1.5; p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: An increase in the use of lung cancer surgery in elderly patients and female patients, and a decrease in the proportion of patients requiring extensive pulmonary resection were identified. Furthermore, centralization of lung cancer surgery was noted.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Information Services ; Insurance, Health ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Male ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Pneumonectomy ; Republic of Korea ; Seoul ; Thoracic Surgery

Pectus arcuatum is a rare complex chest wall deformity. A 31-year-old female presented with a severely protruding upper sternum combined with a concave lower sternum. We planned a modified Ravitch-type operation. Through vertical mid-sternal incision, chondrectomies were performed from the second to fifth costal cartilages, saving the perichondrium. Horizontal osteotomy was performed in a wedge shape on the most protruding point, and followed by an additional partial osteotomy at the most concaved point. The harvested wedge-shape bone fragments were minced and re-implanted to the latter osteotomy site. The osteotomized sternum was fixed with multiple wirings. With chondrosternoplasty, a complex chest wall deformity can be corrected successfully.
Adult ; Bone Transplantation ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Costal Cartilage ; Female ; Funnel Chest ; Humans ; Osteotomy ; Pectus Carinatum ; Sternum ; Thoracic Wall